Lucknow, 01 July (HS): Senior Congress leader, ex-AICC

representative and member Grand Old Party’s political affairs committee,

Shekhar Bahuguna repeated his demand for the resignation of Union education

minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy. He accused

him of branding students as terrorists rather than accepting

responsibility for the educational system's recurrent failures. As the

political debate heated up, the Congress launched a 40-day countrywide outreach

program called 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' to engage students and youngsters in

discussions about education, jobs, and opportunity. The party also conducted

simultaneous news conferences in 28 cities, to call for Pradhan's resignation.

The campaign started on June 25 with brochure distribution, street meetings,

and student engagement. It will be carried out in phases, beginning with campus

contacts and debates with students and youth and culminating in demonstrations

at district collectorates on August 1 and a 'Delhi Chalo' march on August 9.

He said that recurrent examination paper leaks had seriously

weakened the integrity of the country's education system. “The problem of exam

integrity must be taken seriously. Students' prospects should not be

jeopardized, and there is a need for more responsibility in such situations,”

he opined. He stated that the campaign will seek direct feedback from students around

the country. “We will interact directly with students and teenagers to learn

their issues and ideas about the education system. Their feedback will be

collated and submitted to high management,” he claimed. He also mentioned that

the party has set up a missed-call number to solicit proposals for education

sector changes. He slammed Pradhan for allegedly describing protesting students

as terrorists, adding the minister should apologize to crores of young people

and quit for his failings.

He stated that the BJP's politics was to paint anyone who

questioned the administration as a traitor. Consider this: the man whose

incompetence resulted in so many document leaks, under whose watch 20 students

died, and who threw crores of young people's futures into darkness is now

characterizing the disgruntled students and anyone speaking out for them as

'terrorists.

“The NEET, or National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test, taken

by 2 million applicants for admission into undergraduate medical and associated

disciplines, is more than simply a test. It is a home project. Parents invest

into resources, take out loans, postpone big purchases, and reorganize family

life to accommodate their child's preparedness. Students spend years in

coaching centers, sometimes away from home, pursuing scores that might shape

their future.

This is why every examination-related scandal seems personal. It's more than

just an administrative failure. It represents a betrayal of trust. For millions

of parents, siblings, and extended family members whose aspirations are linked

to the outcome, any worries about the integrity of the process have

far-reaching consequences. India is confronting a problem not only in one

examination, but also in the legitimacy of the whole examination system,” he

remarked.

“From individual failures to a systemic problem. Over the

last decade, India has been plagued with examination scandals and

administrative blunders. From the Vyapam recruitment fraud in Madhya Pradesh to

paper leaks affecting recruitment exams, university entrance tests, public

service commission examinations, and professional admissions, scandal has

become an undesirable but common aspect of the country's testing environment. What

was formerly considered an isolated failure is now recognized as a systemic

issue. The immediate repercussions are clear: admissions are delayed, careers

are halted, and students are placed in limbo. The long-term repercussions are

more difficult to assess. Many students consider these exams to be more than

just academic exercises. They are viewed as the most certain path to social

mobility and economic security,” he said prior to signing off.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi